Karnel settled into his favorite chair in the garden, pulling out his art supplies with renewed energy. Despite all his incredible power and knowledge of future events, he'd recently discovered a surprisingly relaxing hobby: sketching.
"Not bad at all," he mused after about an hour, holding up a detailed drawing of a graceful figure in flowing robes. "I might actually have some talent for this."
It was a peaceful afternoon activity, far removed from tournaments and world-threatening battles. For once, he could simply enjoy being—
His contentment shattered as a familiar, malevolent energy signature blazed across his consciousness like a dark flame.
"What the hell?" Karnel's expression darkened as he focused on the distant sensation. "There's something seriously evil happening... and it's coming from Namek!"
Under normal circumstances, he might have dismissed it as someone else's problem. The universe was vast, and he wasn't appointed as its guardian. But this was different, the evil presence was clearly on Namek itself, and from the chaotic energy fluctuations, it was obvious the Namekians were under attack.
Karnel's jaw tightened. The Namekians had been nothing but kind to him during his visit. The Grand Elder had personally helped unlock his potential, and the Dragon Balls had proven invaluable. He couldn't just sit here sketching while they were being slaughtered.
"Looks like my peaceful afternoon is over," he sighed, carefully packing away his art supplies. "Time to play hero again."
With a thought, he vanished.
On Namek, a nightmare was unfolding.
The super Namekian known as Slug had returned to his homeworld with vengeance in his heart. Cast out as a child for his inherently evil nature, he'd spent decades wandering the galaxy, growing stronger and more twisted with each passing year. Now he'd come home to claim what he believed was rightfully his, the Dragon Balls of Namek.
His rampage had already claimed the lives of more than a dozen innocent Namekians, their bodies scattered across the once-peaceful village like broken dolls. Slug felt no remorse, only satisfaction at finally venting years of accumulated hatred.
Nail, the Guardian-class Namekian warrior, had arrived too late to save the villagers, but not too late to try stopping the massacre from continuing.
Unfortunately, Slug's years of conquest had made him formidable. With a power level exceeding 300,000, he vastly outclassed Nail's 42,000. The brave warrior lasted only minutes before being beaten into the ground, his purple blood staining the grass beneath Slug's boot.
"Still as pathetic as ever, Nail," Slug sneered, pressing his foot down harder on the warrior's chest. "Now then, you're going to take me to the Grand Elder, and you're going to convince him to give me the Dragon Balls. Refuse, and I'll make sure every Namekian on this planet dies slowly."
Nail spat blood, glaring up at his tormentor with undimmed defiance. "You... you were cast out for a reason, Slug. You're an abomination born from evil thoughts, you don't deserve to use our Dragon Balls. The Grand Elder was too merciful... I should have killed you myself when you were still weak!"
"Such brave words from someone bleeding in the dirt," Slug laughed coldly. "Very well then. If you won't cooperate, I'll kill you and find the Grand Elder myself. I'm sure he'll be more reasonable when I'm holding the heads of his precious children."
He raised his foot, preparing to crush Nail's skull, when an invisible force slammed into his chest like a freight train.
The impact sent Slug flying backward through the air, blood and saliva spraying from his mouth as he crashed into a distant rock formation. The entire cliff face cracked from the impact.
"What?!" Slug scrambled to his feet, eyes darting wildly as he searched for his attacker. "Who dares, show yourself, coward!"
"I'm right behind you," came a calm, almost bored voice. "What are you looking around for?"
The temperature seemed to drop several degrees. Slug spun around frantically, but saw nothing except empty air.
"I told you, I'm behind you," the voice repeated with mild amusement. "Do you have trouble with directions?"
Slug whirled again, fists crackling with energy, but still found nothing. His power level was impressive, but his opponent was clearly toying with him, moving too fast for even his enhanced senses to track.
"Stop playing games!" Slug roared, his aura exploding outward in a desperate attempt to force his hidden enemy into the open. "Face me like a warrior!"
"If you insist," Karnel said, finally allowing himself to become visible.
He materialized directly in front of Slug, arms crossed casually over his chest. To the evil Namekian's shock, the newcomer looked completely human, and utterly unimpressed by his display of power.
"You know," Karnel observed conversationally, "I was having a perfectly nice afternoon at home. Drawing and relaxing. Then you had to go and start a massacre." His expression hardened. "I really hate it when people interrupt my free time."